NORTHPORT (Malaysia) Bhd, is banking
on its halal tag to help exporters and shipping lines tap into the
US$500 billion (RM1.6 billion) global halal industry market.

The
port hopes to further strengthen its global market reach now that it
has become the first Malaysian port to be awarded the halal
certification by the Halal Industry Development Corp.

As a
Syariah-compliant port, it expects to become a key component in the
logistics and transportation chain and logistical integration.

“Northport,
served by 123 shipping lines and connected to more than 300 ports
worldwide, is particularly well positioned to exploit the vast
potential in the expanding halal consumer product market,” said
Northport managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Basheer
Hassan Abdul Kader.

He said the port has extensive dedicated facilities and services to
ensure strict compliance with the Syariah requirements and standards.

The
port offers designated areas for packing and unpacking of inbound and
outbound products, as well as dedicated cold facilities.

Northport’s
halal ambitions are also supported by MISC Bhd’s Halal Express Services
that provides extensive link to the global halal markets including
Europe and the Middle East.

MISC’s Halal Express Services was
launched in 2006 and following positive responses from the trade, the
weekly service is now served with six 4,250 TEU (20-ft equivalent unit)
container ships.

Yesterday MISC launched its second service loop named Halal Express Service 2 with direct services to the Far East.

“With
more shipping lines beginning to tap into the growing specialised
demand for transportation and logistics services for halal products, we
view the trend positively and are committed to further providing a
wider range of services to meet the specific requirements of trade,”
Basheer said at the launch of the MISC Halal Express Service 2 in
Northport yesterday.

Northport aims to use its link with several
other leading global shipping lines such as Maersk, Hapag Lloyd and
Nippon Yusen Kaisha as a platform to other Muslim dominated consumer
markets via key ports such as Rotterdam, Dubai and Marseille.